Fubara’s Return: Ibas Begins Transition with Thanksgiving, Pension Reforms

With just four days to the September 18 deadline for lifting emergency rule in Rivers State, the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok–Ette Ekwe Ibas (rtd.), has rolled out transition activities, including a massive inter-denominational thanksgiving service to mark his six-month stewardship.

Invited to the service are Permanent Secretaries, Local Government Chairmen, security and paramilitary heads, traditional rulers, governing board members, captains of industry, and other officials. The event will hold at the Ecumenical Centre, Abonnema Wharf Road, Port Harcourt, with Ibas as the special guest of honour, according to the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika.

Despite his imminent exit, Ibas on Friday inaugurated a newly constituted Rivers State Pensions Board, pledging to restore accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the pension system. He described the move as a decisive step to end years of hardship faced by retirees.

“Today’s event is not just ceremonial; it is a reaffirmation of our government’s commitment to ensuring that those who have labored faithfully in the service of our dear state are treated with the dignity, respect, and care they truly deserve,” Ibas said.

He charged the board to deliver results without excuses, stressing that pensioners had waited long enough. He revealed that a state-wide re-verification exercise had already exposed major lapses in the system and assured that the new board was carefully chosen to restore confidence and ensure prompt payments.

Last week, Ibas declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to him had been “sufficiently achieved” following the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots. Speaking during the submission of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) report at Government House, he commended the commission for organising what he described as a credible and peaceful local government election.

“For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people went out freely to express themselves and to select whom they wanted as their leaders. This is a testament to the peaceful and enabling environment we have collectively fostered,” he said.

With Rivers residents eagerly awaiting Tinubu’s next steps, the curtain is set to fall on Ibas’ six-month tenure as sole administrator, which began after emergency rule was declared on March 18, 2025.